Dream of a Madman
by MasterMind4
Summary: Gandalf is called to Lothlorien to help battle a Madman who is encouraging evil to take root in his twisted mind. More chapters will come soon. I'm too lazy to do it now.
1. The begining of a nightmare

Lord of the Rings  
Dream of a Madman  
  
Disclaimer: I own none of Tolkiens works so on and so fourth yeah .  
  
Rating: PG13  
  
Note: This story takes place some time before the ring was discovered by Bilbo. Please review. This is my first Fan Fiction  
  
Lothlorien was as peaceful as usual. The birds sang melodiously, singing a soft lullaby to the elves that would soon sleep. The moon shone through gaps in the trees. No one would ever think that a growing threat was nurturing in these serene woods. Gandalf sighed. It was depressing to see such beauty corrupted. It dwelt here.  
  
The thing was that which grows in everyone's mind. It corrupted, burned, destroyed. It was in everyone. It was evil itself. Whether we wish to deny it or not, there is evil that grows, feeding upon the riches of the mind. But here, here it grew in an alarming rate. Someone was feeding it willingly. It was Gandalf who was assigned to find who was feeding it.  
  
Gandalf walked down the leaf strewn paths, fear creeping into his mind like a spider. Who could be so mad as to stroke the fires of evil? Who? Thoughts were mans best weapon, and Gandalf wielded it well. Ah, such was the path he had chosen, to fight with the mind rather then the sword.  
  
He walked to the huge oak that was the castle of the elves. The twisting staircase gave off to hollowed rooms where elves slept dreaming of days to come. He reached a place near the throne room that was Celeborns study. Seeing a flickering light through the windows so intricately placed in the tree, he knocked on what he thought was the oaken door (Though dwarves were the craft masters, it is difficult to match elvish skill when it comes to wood.) A dignified voice said, "Come in, the doors open." Gandalf open the door to see Celeborn frowning at a pile of parchments in front of him.  
  
The study looked much as it usually did. More books cluttered the ground then there were on the shelf. Parchments loosely lay in random places. A single candle burned where Celeborn practically lived.  
  
"Ah, Gandalf. It is good to see you old friend. What brings you to Lothlorien?" Celeborn said. "What brings me to Lothlorien is very bad business, Celeborn." Gandalf said gravely. "Someone is corrupting your woods." Celeborn looked at him uncomprehending, till understanding dawned upon him. "How could this be? There has never been any evil in our woods!" Celeborn exclaimed, shocked. "There has been evil. It is in all minds. There is no way to be cleansed of evil." Gandalf stared out into the night sky, as if he could find the madman there. "It is late, Celeborn. Go to sleep." Gandalf said in a solemn sort of way. "Yes. I must rest." Celeborn seemed weakened as if by a physical blow. He had fooled himself thinking there was only purity in his woods. Now the illusion had shattered, sending shards into his flesh.  
  
It was early morning when Gandalf had awoken from the guest chambers. He found a meal readily prepared to eat. The sun came through the stained glass windows, bathing everything in an explosion of colors. The sun was just peeking over its cover of clouds.  
  
Gandalf walked down from the tree to see young elves examining him curiously. It made him sad to see the children, knowing that such evil could exist in these woods. The trees stood tall and proud as always.  
  
Something happened. Gandalf couldn't explain it. It felt like someone had drugged his mind. He wandered around in a sort of half-dream. He dully realized that someone didn't want him interfering with something. Hmm. how odd. yes., he thought. He suddenly jerked out of the dream and too late realized his error. Screams surrounded Gandalf. And elf lay on the ground, his head cut off. 


	2. Poisoned Mind

The Lord of the Rings  
Dream of a Madman  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing .. Nothing I tell you!  
  
Note: I apologize if this chapter is a little late. I had to go on vacation to a place with no electricity. the horror of it all.  
  
Gandalf stared at the head in mute horror. So, this was all Gandalf the mighty could do, said a sarcastic voice in his mind. He was not so horrified by the fact the elf was dead (Though that was pretty horrifying) but more so by the fact that he had let it happen. The curtain that had closed his mind was to stop him from reacting. It had worked. Gandalf walked away from the scene, unable to look at his failure.  
  
He walked off the path to calm himself in nature's chaotic way. Laughter. There was a laughing elf, sitting on the ground with his legs bunched up to his chest.  
"Heh heh heh heh. failure hmm? Ah ha ha ha ha ha. yes. you're right. I did make that happen. Oh don't look so surprise. you so willingly let me use you." The elf said in a quietly mad voice.  
"Willingly? What?" Gandalf stuttered. "Oh that's right. willingly. isn't it sad? To kill the very people you have to protect." The madman continued. "Yes. this is my dream. my dream is coming true. heh heh heh heh."  
"No! You made me!" Gandalf said swinging his staff at the figure in blind rage. "You made me!" But it only passed through the mad elf. "You see how powerful I've become? No mortal can even hurt me!" Gandalf regained his composure and said, "The power you wield will someday devour you."  
"Yes. some day.. But not this day!!" The mad elf disappeared leaving behind an echoing laugh.  
  
Gandalf walked back to the castle-tree in a whirlwind of sad thoughts. He found Celeborn with lady Galadriel at his side. "It wasn't you're fault Gandalf." Galadriel said in a soft voice. "Ah, but it was, my lady." Gandalf said in a dry voice. "It was me who killed the elf. Evil had infected me. Perhaps it would be better for me to leave."  
"No, Gandalf. I forbid it." Celeborn said in a stern voice. "Celeborn, don't be a fool! I'm a danger as long as I'm here!" Gandalf yelled. "It doesn't matter, Gandalf." Galadriel said calmingly. "Evil cannot, or could not, enter our woods. But it still can't leave our woods." These few words seemed to drain all the energy out of Gandalf. "Leave me be." He said in a weak voice. He started to walk up to his room, the sun shining on his grey cloak.  
  
Once he reached his room, he locked the door. Oh, how weary I grow, he thought. It could be so easy to simply fall... fall into the darkness. But no, it cannot be. I must always pull on, ignoring time, ignoring weariness, oh will I ever know rest? These thoughts filled his mind, and, without knowing it, he slowly poisoned his mind. 


	3. The Nightmare Passes

The Lord of the Rings  
Dream of a Madman  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing .. So yeah . nothing . yet.  
  
Note: I apologize if this chapter is bad or too late, and I apologize if the last chapter was bad.  
  
Celeborn walked up to Gandalf's room.  
"Gandalf, come on! You can't stay locked up there forever!" No response. He knocked on the door. Still. no response. Celeborn began to get very irritated, an uncommon occurrence amongst elves. He attempted to open the door and, to his surprise, it wasn't locked! Peering into the room, he saw that Gandalf was apparently sleeping on his bed. Celeborn quickly realized that Gandalf wasn't sleeping, for he had his eyes wide open, staring into nothingness.  
"Gandalf? Gandalf, wake up." Celeborn said, now worried. "Wake up, Celeborn? It is impossible to awaken from this nightmare! It goes on and on, continual fear! This is his dream, but it is a nightmare! Nightmare, nightmare, nightmare!" Gandalf screamed. Suddenly, he flung himself at Celeborn, scratching at his throat, screaming the words, "Wake up! Wake up!" As if suddenly realizing what he was doing, Gandalf jumped away to the corner sobbing.  
  
Galadriel said to Celeborn upon his return, "How fares Gandalf?"  
"Not well. His mind is nearly overwhelmed by madness." Celeborn said, showing Galadriel the marks on his neck. "Oh dear." was all she could say. A laugh interrupted their conversation. The sick laugh of one who has gone completely insane. The two looked up to see an elf clinging to the window. You could hardly call him an elf. His hair was dirty and disheveled. He had bags under his eyes from no sleep. The eyes burned with all-consuming dark insanity.  
"Who are you? What do you want?" Celeborn said. The crazed elf laughed and leaped nearer to him. "Heh heh. What do I want, hmm? I want you to. wake up!" The effect upon Celeborn was instantaneous. He stood, wide-eyed, staring at the elf, and suddenly he collapsed, shivering, on the ground. Galadriel screamed, "No!" The elf merely laughed and started to her. Suddenly, as if hearing some distant cry, the elf looked out the window, and leaped away.  
  
Gandalf lay on the ground. He heard a noise. "Saruman? Saruman, I apologize, I can't seem to get this spell right!" he said. "Delusional, hmm? Heh heh. Soon now. Soon."  
"Delusional? What are you talking about Saruman?" Gandalf suddenly came out of his delusion. He quickly spotted the elf standing at the window.  
"No, No, please." Gandalf whimpered as he backed into a corner. "Soon, no more fear soon, soon, soon." The mad elf repeated. Gandalf was falling into darkness. He was alone, cold, falling. It is now, now the end of the fall rushes up to meet me, he thought. Then, through the darkness, came a light! The pure light of good, piercing the darkness as well as any sword. The pure, complete, light that shines through! The light! It was so beautiful Gandalf could not begin to describe it. His wits came to him, and in a flurry of sudden magic, the elf was flung back.  
"You are far from my defeat!" The elf snarled, as he flung himself out the window. "Your madness may be a nightmare, but I have woken up." 


	4. Fearful Vision

The Lord of the Rings  
Dream of a Madman  
  
Disclaimer: .. You already know what I'll say. yes.. I don't own everything..  
  
Note: I apologize for writing this chapter so late.. I was on vacation.. So yeah. have I apologized for something on every chapter?  
  
Gandalf walked with a spring in his step. This was a moment of peace, of tranquil rest. Unfortunately it was not eternal. There still was the elf to contend with. Gandalf was beginning to be worried. He was worried before, but now, this was a serious problem.  
  
Celeborn was particularly happy at Gandalf's recovery. It might have something to do with the fact that Gandalf was no longer throttling him. The wind blew through Gandalf's hair as he contemplated a way to reach the elf. He had no idea as to where the elf was. But he could track his pet.  
  
It had been three days since the monsters last attack, and a week since Gandalf recovered. He would have to wait till the creature's next attack. But where would it go? The two elves who had already been attacked where not related to each other in any way. Gandalf shuddered at the memory of the two elves. That head still grinned up to him in his nightmares, and the other one's death was too gruesome to think about. But those kinds of things have a way of creeping into your mind. An image of the mutilated body hanging upside down on a tree flashed in his mind.  
  
Music reached his ears. It sounded like soft voiced children singing. Following the sound, Gandalf reached a stone that had four long marks on it, which reminded Gandalf frightfully of claw marks. He looked around for the children, but only trees surrounded him. Suddenly Gandalf realized he was wrong. A little elf girl stared at him from the opposite side of the stone. Gandalf stared on in mute curiosity, for he was sure the child hadn't been there a moment before. The little girl was suddenly hanging from chains up on a tree! Then Gandalf realized that the chain wasn't hanging from a tree, it was hanging on nothing! The trees where gone and as far as Gandalf could see, there was only darkness. He, the girl on the chain, and the stone where the only things in the void. The hanging girl flickered for a moment, and then reappeared next to Gandalf, though still in chains. The girl clawed at the stone where the claw marks where, except the claw marks weren't there. The girl was making them. Gandalf suddenly came out of the dream. The stone and the girl where gone, and the trees where back.  
  
Light filtered through the green leaves, birds sang beautifully, and no one would ever imagine that eyes watched Gandalf as he walked cautiously away. No one would believe that those eyes belonged to one who hated him with an intense malice, that watched him with such evil. 


End file.
